Signal-lantern



(No Model.)

B. D. MORGAN 8v 0. B. MANN.

SIGNAL LANTERN.

No. 341,762. Patented May 11, 1886.

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Warren STATES PATENr tries.

REUBEN D. MORGAN AND CHARLES B. MANN, OF C'LEVIGLANI), OHIO.

SIGNAL- LANTERN.

SFL-E'GIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3&1762, dated May 11, 1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, REUBEN D. MORGAN and CHARLES B. MANN, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lanterns; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art .to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our invent-ion relates to improvements in that class of lanterns that have asignal attachment, and an elastic bail is employed for elevating or depressing the signal attachment, to make the same operative or inoperative, said bail having inclines arranged on the sides thereof, that, by engaging the casing of the lantern,hold the signal attachment inits elevated or operative position, and by means of the said inclines arranged in reverse order and engag ing the casing, and of the elasticity and tension of the bail, no catches are required, and the sides of the bail are compressed inward or snubbed back, either in elevating ordepressing the signal'glass,to the end that the signal attachment may be quickly adjusted and made operative.

Vith these objects in view our invention consists in certain features of construction and in combination of parts, hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation,in section, ofa lantern with our improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line of w m, Fig. 1.

A represents the base of the lantern, to which the oil-containerB is attached. A casing, A, surrounds the latter, but is separated a short distance therefrom, leaving an annular space between the outside casing and the container. The casing A is made to receive and support the lower end of the so-called globe or chimney O, and has also the guard-wires D attached. upper casing, E, that in turn supports the top end of the chimney G, and forms the top of the lantern, the construction thus far described being substantially of the ordinary kind.

Our invention pertains wholly to the signal attachment, which is as follows: A wire bail, F, has attached the bands G and G, that hold the colored glass H, that is usual] y in a cylindrical form and is known as the colored These guard-wires support the of parts shown in Fig. 1. the glass II is drawn up around the burner I), convcrtingthedcvice into asignallantern. \Vhcn the glass H is depressed,it enters the annular space around the oil-container, and the upper end of the glass is just below the-line of the burner b, leaving the device in effect an ordinary lantern.

Broadly it is not new to arrange a colored glass in a lantern to be raised and lowered for signal purposes. The difficulty heretofore with this class of lanterns has been that they could not be manipulated quick enough. These lanterns are mostly used for railroad purposes, and it frequently happens that the operator,without a moments warning,fin(is it necessary to give a danger-signal. In all such cases the sooner his lantern can be made ready for giving such signal the better.

, With our improved lantern the signal attachment can be thrown on or off instantly. To this end the bail Fis elastic, and ofconsiderable tensiomand extends up through the top of the casing, as sho'wmand whereit is conveniently near the supporting-bail I ofthe lantern. The parts of the bail f andf form inclines, arranged in reverse order to the axis of the bail. The inclined portions of the bail engage, respectively, the parts 0 of the casing, that mark the extreme limits of the slot or opening through the casing through which the bail extends. The ahruptncss of the inclines f, together with the tension of the bail, is sufficient to hold the parts elevated without other fastening. A moderate pull upward or pressure downward is suflicient to move the bail, the sides of the latter being pressed inward or snubbed back as the ball is elevated or depressed. The loop F of the bail F and the carrying-bail I are in such close proximity that the former may be operated by a finger of the hand that is carrying the lanterin The signal mechanism may thereforebe operated by one handjust as well as with both hands, and the ease and dispatch with which the device can be manipulated reiider it a desirable lantern for railroad purposes.

We are aware that it is old to provide asignal-lantern with a coloredglass slide supported on a base, the latter having catches for securing it to the lamp-casing, whereby the slide can be elevated so as to inclose the flame or lowered out of sight, also that it is old to provide a lantern with a case or transparency of different colors divided into sections, and with a vertically-adjustable lantern,so that the elevation or suspension of the lantern at different points by means of a rod passing through the top of the lantern will present differentc'olored lights, and hence we make no claim to such constructions.

In the signal-lantern in which the glass slide is operated from below the operating mechanism cannot be seen, except by elevating the lantern, and consequentlyconsiderable time is necessarily lost in adjusting the parts.

In the devices wherein the case or trans- 'parency is made up of a series of different-colored rings and thelamp suspended from arod, the lamp is liable to become loosened from the rod when the lantern is swung, and the case or transparency made up of a series of colored rings is more expensive than the ordinary globe and s1ide,and,being exposed,is liable to be easily broken, and thereby render the lantern useless as a danger-signal.

What we claim is l. The c0mbination,with a lantern consistin essentiall of a base a casin secured to the base and supporting-a globe or chimney, a cover resting on the globe or chimney, and a lamp seated on the baseinside of the casing, of a colored signal-glass greater in diameter than the lamp, a sliding frame supporting the upper and lower ends of said signal-glass, andhaving projections engaging guides in the casing, and a bail secured to said frame and projecting through the cover on the globe or chimney, the parts being constructed and arranged whereby the sliding frame and coloredgiass signal can be lowered to aposition between the casing and lamp below the burner, substantially as set forth;

2. The combination, with a lantern consisting, essentially, of a base, a casing secured to the base and supporting aglobe or chimney, a cover for the latter, and a lamp seated on the bascinside of the casing, of a colored signalglass, a sliding frame supporting the upper and lower edges of said glass, and having a projection engaging a guide located inside of the casing, and the yielding bail passing through the cover and having inclines arranged in reverse order, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses,this 27th day of January, 1886.

REUBEND. MORGAN. CHARLES B. MANN. Witnesses:

CHAS. H. DORER, GEO. XV. KING. 

